What is the best Cobra Kit to buy?

[steve286]

Try and kill me? Maybe I should just get a new corvette or a SuperSnake????

[lippy]

On the BB vs SB question, with Kirkham and ERA, most 427 body style cars will have big blocks and most 289 body style cars will have small blocks. Most of the SPFs, Hurricanes, and FFs I've seen have small blocks, even with 427 body style cars. In my ERA I have a Pond aluminum big block built by Brent and I'd do it again, but small blocks are probably "better" engines with broader parts availability.

[Bernica]

Originally Posted by steve286

Try and kill me? Maybe I should just get a new corvette or a SuperSnake????

Maybe so. This is a well known writing by Dr. Hal Copple about owning a Cobra......

"If you want to just gas and go, and never have to worry about
replacing an alternator, or snugging down the header bolts, or
getting a wet leg driving in a rainstorm, or learning how to set
your carb float level, or driving in traffic on a warm winter day
with "winter gas" in the tank, get the 'Vette.

With a Replica, even a Superformance, you have to remind yourself that you are driving a hand made race car on the street. There is no compromise for anything other than pure speed. These cars are brutal and unforgiving, with all the refinement of a medieval battle ax. Like being in a relationship with an exotic dancer, you can never take anything for granted. These cars don't have millions of miles of testing refinement before you get yours. For any trip longer than an hour, you need earplugs, and goggles, and carry Advil and eye drops. You will need to learn to "read" the clouds for rain in your path, and have experience in unwrapping your frozen fingers from the MotoLita. You will experience lady passengers "wetting" the passenger seat when you merge into traffic from an on ramp, and then nearly burn their calf getting out of the car.

You will have all the invisibility of a burning Hindenburg, and flee from underground parking lots with uncountable car alarms screaming your departure. When you stop, you will remind yourself that these cars get more attention than a dead body in a parking lot.

With a power to weight ratio better than almost every supercar, you will find your 1/4 mile times traction rather than power limited. On the other hand, when you stage, out of the corner of your helmet's visor you will see almost the entire audience lining up at the fence, most with cameras up. If you track on a road course with a Porsche club, owners of expensive German machines will come to the fence to watch you power out in smoking oversteer. You won't even try to start your engine in the garage, but push it out onto the driveway, else your loyal watch dog will croak from the exhaust fumes. If you idle next to other "sports" cars at a traffic light, by the green, their girlfriend will be coughing green phlegm into her hanky, yelling at her date to just go! When you refuel, you might as well prop the "bonnet" open, because you are going to have to show your motor to just about every other guy there. When you order your wings at Hooters, your waitress will whisper in your ear "take me for a ride." When you stop at the red light, the girl in the convertible next to you will invite you to "take my top off too."

When you slowly pass a troop of Harley riders, they will look over and give you thumbs up. When you want to ease out into traffic, other cars will immediately pause to let you go ahead of them. When your engine has its hot, crackling, intimidating exhaust sidepipe aimed right at the flank of the GTO, or the Z28, your exhaust pulsations slowly unscrewing his lug nuts, the other car will remain motionless, as if the slightest quiver of his car will cause your car to stomp it dead. When you leave it open in a parking lot, and come back to find your sunglasses and cell phone still sitting on the tunnel, it is because your car has sullenly warned those who came over to admire it "touch me and I will rise up here and kill you dead."

When you put that tiny silver key into the ignition, and begin your start countdown, your car will whisper "take me for granted, and I will kill you."

When other drivers just hop in and snap up their belts while backing out of their parking space, you will still have two more minutes before you even get all the Simpson's properly on and snugged down. Pulling up in a Cobra replica is like landing an F4U at an ultralite convention.

In summary, very, very few drivers want this kind of attention, or can tolerate all that a formidable Replica demands. These cars are intolerant mistresses. But remember, there will come a day when you have to hang up your car keys for the last time. And perhaps you want to say then "I did it."

All the best.
__________________
Hal Copple"

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by steve286

Try and kill me? Maybe I should just get a new corvette or a SuperSnake????

If you believe a Cobra is a civilized automobile, you are wrong. A cobra is anything but civilized. No AC, no roll up windows, no cruise control, no radio, and in many cases, no top.


Corvette Vs SuperSnake, again, with your budget, you are limited to a used example, tread carefully and make sure to have a pre-purchase inspection on whatever of those two you ultimately decide to buy.


After all, the live you save might just be your own.


Bill S.